Pediatric Coding Alert
You Be the Coder:
Tick Investigation Warrants E/M
Published on Fri Jan 22, 2016
Question: Is there a code to bill if the pediatrician examines a tick under a microscope to see if it’s a deer tick (i.e. for Lyme disease)?
Codify Subscriber
Answer: There isn’t a separate code that reflects the pediatrician’s work examining the tick under a microscope, but you can include this work in the E/M code for the day. Document the extra work involved in reviewing the tick’s structure and use that to help determine the level of medical decision-making that you tally to determine your E/M level (such as 99201-99215).
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Tick Investigation Warrants E/M
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